SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTS

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations (UN) specialized agency for health. The World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by the 192 Member States of the United Nations. Evalife Water Pty Limited endorses the World Health Organization (WHO) mandate, given by the United Nations: "The attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health".

The World Health Organization (WHO) has studied the importance of dietary magnesium and reached some important conclusions. "Available information from experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies supports the hypothesis that a lower than recommended intake of magnesium is a condition that increases the risk of dying from, and possibly developing, cardiovascular disease, stroke or hypertension" (http://www.who.int/entity/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsindw.pdf)

Most correlation studies show a high mortality for cardiovascular disease and stroke in populations with low magnesium concentrations in drinking water. The World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that steps should be taken to ensure that drinking water contains adequate levels of magnesium: "National governments and water suppliers should be encouraged to practice stabilization of demineralized water with additives that will increase calcium and magnesium levels" (WHO, 2005. Nutrient Minerals in drinking-water. Rolling revision of the WHO guidelines for drinking water quality. (www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/gdwqrevision/nutminerals/en/print.html)

Evalife Water Pty Limited endorses the World Health Organization (WHO) expert report on nutrients in drinking water published in 2005. This expert's report analyzes in depth the published health benefits of magnesium in drinking water. In the public interest, Evalife Water Pty Limited has copied selected extracts from the World Health Organization (WHO) expert report on nutrients in drinking water and has listed the extracts below.

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More than 80 observational epidemiological studies were collected from the world wide literature published since 1957 (to 2004) which related water hardness (magnesium and/or calcium concentrations in water) and cardiovascular disease risks.

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Most of the studies summarized in this (expert) report were published in peer reviewed English- language scientific journals. Both population and individual-based studies have observed benefits.

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The most frequently reported benefit was a reduction in ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality.

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The strongest epidemiologic evidence for beneficial effects was for drinking water magnesium concentrations.

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Based upon the studies that have been reviewed, the meeting concluded that on balance there is sufficient epidemiological and other biological evidence to support the hypothesis of an inverse relationship between magnesium and possibly calcium concentrations in drinking water and ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality.

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On balance, the hypothesis that consumption of hard water (magnesium and/or calcium concentrations in water) is associated with a somewhat lowered risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) was probably valid, and that magnesium was the more likely contributor of those benefits.